(Photo: Brady Klain/WCSN)
The Arizona State UniversitySun Devils traveled to the hardwood in Westwood, California, putting together another strong second half to top the UCLA Bruins 84-73.
It was their first win over UCLA since 2009. The starting point guard at the time? James Harden. Since then it has been a story of defeats under the bright lights of LA. But, with his team of freshman, newcomers and the returning Remy Martin, Bobby Hurley and the Devils would change their Los Angeles fortune.
As has been the case lately, it was a slow start for the Sun Devils. They began the night off missing their first four field goal attempts and turned the ball over three times in that span. While ASU struggled, the Bruins capitalized on the poor Sun Devil offense taking an early 11-0 lead.
For the Bruins, it was not only on ASU’s blunders that they feasted on. They worked well to crash the boards and lock down the paint on defense. It was UCLA’s size that proved an early challenge for a Sun Devil team that thrives most when players crash towards the basket.
The tides would eventually turn for ASU. Martin, the spiritual leader of a very young team, elevated for a posterizing slam that seemed to kick off a scoring run that would never slow down. The Bruins took a 44-43 lead into halftime and did not see the lead again.
When the second half came the teams came out of the tunnel anew. The Bruins, a squad that played for keeps in the first half, crept quickly back into the shadows when the second began. Hurley brought a team back out for the second half that was ready to take home their 14th win of the year.
In the second period, Martin continued his takeover. He finished the game with 15 points and a game-leading 11 assists.
The success did not stop at Martin. Luguentz Dort, who has struggled lately, finished the game with 16 points and senior forward Zylan Cheatham backed up his teammates on the glass with a season-high 20 rebounds, the most a Sun Devil has had since 1997.
The Devils knew what they were playing for. Sure, it may have been to win their first game in Pauley Pavilion since Harden did it. But there was more behind this victory. The Devils needed to prove that their inconsistencies were behind them. They needed to follow up a defining win against Oregon with a ‘prove-it’ win against the Bruins. They did that.
As March’s madness draws closer, the Devils will need to take advantage of every opportunity they can and that started in Los Angeles with UCLA and will continue when the Devils take on the Trojans at USC.
They’ve beaten Kansas, they conquered Oregon but they also lost big games this year. The Devils are trying to regain the fame of just a few weeks ago and with every win, they get closer to that goal.
